Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Buffalo Trace Trail Race


Everyone knows about the world-famous Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run, but have you heard of the older and shorter "Buffalo Trace Trail Race"? Both races are part of Second Wind Running Club. I started & directed this 5-mile race back in 2003. "Badwater Brian" is the current race director. The event is a 5-mile trail run (with a 2-mile walk category) through beautiful Lake of the Woods Park in Mahomet, IL. That's about 10 miles west of Champaign, IL. And it's my home course! I run there almost every day. The trail is near an ancient buffalo trace created by a massive herd of buffalo. The 5-mile course traverses rolling hills, small forests, open meadows and prairie, and at least one stream. The walkers have a less challenging but still scenic route. The race will take place at 8am on Saturday, May 17. The course is deceptively difficult--no huge hills, no real roots and rocks, and only one small stream crossing--but it has a continuous gentle up and down that wears out those not familiar with hills or trails. The event is a perfect first trail race for those road warriors out there. Early registration deadline is May 9 (only $15). After May 9, including race morning, you can register for $20.

Don't confuse this "Buffalo Trace Trail Race" (5 miler) with the "Buffalo Trace Stage Race" (7-day run) at the same location in mid-June. Try to say those two race names three times fast! The first is a well-established, official, 5-mile race put on by a respected running club. The later is an experimental, informal, 7-day trail run brought to you by a crazy ultra runner (me). More details about the stage race after I complete Gnaw Bone 50K.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Favorite Shoes?

My brother in New Hampshire started running again and asked me for some advice about what shoes, socks, shirts, accessories I'd suggest. I didn't have any real suggestions or favorites to recommend. That seemed a bit sad. So I thought all weekend and decided to come up with a few of my favs...

Shoes: I can't pick just one! My favorite road shoe is the Mizuno Wave Revolver. It's a racing flat, but I use it for both roads and trails (as long as the trail isn't too technical). I prefer lightweight, flexible shoes. The Revolver only weights about 7 oz and the toe can be bent to touch the heel. It also has a wide toe box which I need for longer ultra runs when my feet swell up. I have two favorite trail shoes: the New Balance NB 790 and the Teva X-1. The NB 790 is basically the Revolver made for the trails. It only weighs about 7-8 oz and it is extremely flexible. The extra trail features are slightly better traction and a bit of toe and underfoot protection from rocks and roots. Still not the best shoe for really muddy or technical (serious rocks & roots) trails. The Teva X-1 (now replaced with the Teva X-1 Racer or Teva X-1C) is a great all-around trail shoe with the best drainage of any shoe I know. It has a lot more cushioning, traction, and protection than either the Revolver or NB 790, but still comes in at a fairly lightweight 10 oz. All three shoes are lightweight, airy, and have a medium to large toe box.

Another lightweight (and VERY flexible) shoe that I like is the Nike Free. I am half addicted to this darn shoe. At times I feel I should throw all my other shoes away and only use this sucker. Other times, I want to get rid of it and swear to never be silly again. I know some people use it for full length ultras (including Clinton Lake 30 miler), but I have only used it in training runs up to 10 miles on fairly easy trails. If I could find them cheap (E-bay?), I'd probably buy and use them more often. I enjoy barefoot running in warmer weather and these shoes let me "sort of" experience the benefits of running barefoot. I truly believe barefoot running (and Nike Free running) is good for your feet and your running stride/efficiency.

Socks: Any non-cotton socks work well for me. Lately I've preferred the thinner coolmax socks like DeFeet. If I'm in a VERY long ultra in hot weather, the Injinji toe socks work well (they suck in cold, wet weather). In cold weather, I prefer SmartWool socks.

Shorts: Again, no real preference here. I used to love a Mizuno short that isn't made anymore (it was sort of between the current Mustang and Maverick) . Now I've been running mostly in Brooks Tempo short (it's fairly inexpensive). Any wicking material short with a crepe liner works for me. For REALLY tough and LONG ultras, I have used Salomon XA Twinskin shorts. They are a hybrid short/tight and seem to work well to prevent chaffing.

Shirts: This is repetitive, but again, I have no real favorite shirt. I tend to go for Mizuno shirts if I buy them, but nowadays all the darn ultra races are giving away technical fabric shirts. I haven't actually purchased a running shirt in over 2 years! I really love the 2007 Clinton Lake race shirt (Brooks half-zip Equilibrium shirt).

Accessories: SportShield (chaffing prevention), Hydropel (foot protection in soggy conditions), and BlisterShield foot powder (for dry conditions). I only use Hydropel when it's a long ultra in wet conditions (rain, serious mud, streams, etc). Lots of adventure racers swear by the stuff. I recently switched from BodyGlide (works OK) to SportShield (works very well) for everyday chafe prevention (nipples, under arms, between thighs, etc).

Best places to buy your running stuff...Body n' Sole Sports (local running store in Champaign, IL) or on the web at ZombieRunner. After thinking all weekend, I still don't have any super-favorites. Oh well. I hope this list helps my brother Stephen in New Hampshire...and brother Mark in Washington too. I'll let bro John (with serious knee problems) off the hook...for now. Everyone is welcome to post their favorites in the comments to this post.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Race Photos from Dave Ghent

Here is a full set of 363 race photos taken by Dave Ghent (Ghent Photography) on my Picasa web site. I also have added them to the original posting of race photos (6 sets) in my April 1, 2008 blog entry.

Soon I anticipate a full set of high resolution photos available for viewing and purchase on Dave's web site at Ghent Photography (now available for purchase!).

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Howl at the Moon 8-Hour Registration

The Howl at the Moon registration opens Saturday, April 26. They will have both online and paper forms on their Kennekuk Road Runner web site. The race limit is 250 and it will close well before race day. This is one of the best timed events in the country. It was my first ultra in 2000 and I'm still coming back for more punishment in the August heat and humidity of central Illinois. I encourage you to run it, even if you've never done an ultra before...it's a great first ultra with little pressure. Who can't get more than a marathon distance in 8 hours? Even breaking 50K (31 miles) is very doable in 8 hours (on a pretty tame course).

For a little more about the event, see my previous post on March 18, 2008.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Clinton Lake Post-Race Survey Results

Thank you to everyone that completed a post-race web survey. I had 69 responses (plus lots of individual e-mails). I compiled results and made a few suggestions for change to our Second Wind Running Club board. The club was supportive of your ideas for improvements. (I wish more races collected feedback like this and made changes based on runner comments.)

Average ratings of the race:
(based on 4-point rating scale with 4=excellent, 1=poor)

AID STATIONS=3.85 (90% rated "excellent")
FINISHER AWARD=3.58 (74% rated "excellent")
RACE SHIRT=3.59 (75% rated "excellent")
TRAIL COURSE=3.99 (99% rated "excellent")
ORGANIZATION=4.00 (100% rated "excellent")
OVERALL=3.94 (96% rated "excellent")

96% said they'd run the race again! This was only the 2nd year for the race and I think it's already established itself as a premier event. I want it to get even better every year. The club and I are proud of this "little Midwestern ultra" that is growing stronger and stronger.

Here are changes planned for next year based on feedback from you and my great volunteers:

*Very tentative race date = Saturday, March 28, 2009
*Change course direction next year--go clockwise (up road hill)
*Add a "Super Grand Master" age group award (60+)
*Provide free entry to next year's race for the current champions
*More pizza at end of race (for volunteers and runners)
*Vaseline at aid stations (but we won't be adding pain pills)
*Greater variety of shirt sizes (XS to XXL)--cotton next year?
*More Mt Dew, less Coke
*Additional sponsors for free give-aways to runners
*Unmanned water aid stations between the main ones (if warm)
*Sign to remind runners to check-in at canoe aid station

Behind the scenes stuff that affects runners indirectly:
*Better communication between stations about runners/DNFs
*Collect bibs at finish to have extra record of finish order
*Use big pitchers to quickly fill water bottles and cups
*Lobby DNR harder for electricity and running water at start

I'm glad that so many runners said they enjoyed the up-to-date Second Wind Running Club web site and my race blog. Keep reading! We hope to add more information to the web site next year. And my blog will continue...even when the race isn't close at hand.

Good luck to all those still in the running for the IL Trail Ultra Grand Slam. Those results are posted on the race web site and my blog. Only 2 races left to go and we have 24 people still going strong.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

My Sister Sandy

Non-running post for Earth Day. My sister passed away 2 years ago today. She was in a terrible car accident on Long Island. Whenever I do the McNaughton Park race, I think of her. The accident, her coma, and death happened when I was training for the 100 miler. Feels good to have finally finished that darn 100 miler this year. I sort of felt I owed it to her. I thought about Sandy quite a bit during this year's race. She would have liked to hike the 10-mile McNaughton trail. No running for her...you need to slow down to appreciate the flora and fauna. That mud slowed me down pretty well, so I got a chance to see quite a few deer while walking slowly up the hills. Sandy loved the outdoors and the environment, so it's bittersweet that her death came on Earth Day. At least it's a way for me to remember her zest for life and love of animals and natural settings. She always thought my ultra running was crazy (especially the 100 milers), but she understood that her little brother liked to "hit the trails" and enjoyed being around like-minded individuals who loved nature. After a long and tough ultra, she'd be the first one I'd call to say "Hey, I finished it!" She'd congratulate me and then tell me to call mom to let her know I was OK. I miss those calls. My life, and the world in general, is worse off without her. She was a good person doing good things (as most social workers are). I hope Sandy is resting in peace and looking down on me with pride as I continue trying to promote running, environmental, and animal causes. We planted a redbud tree soon after her funeral. It's just now waking up from the long winter and budding...flowers should be here soon. My sister's life was cut short. She never had the chance to fully bloom and show all her talents and skills to the world. On Earth Day, I hope we can all pitch-in and make the world a better place. Plant a tree. Drive less. Walk more. Recycle those cans and bottles. Pick up liter during your daily run. Invite a friend to see your favorite trail. Do something. And don't forget to connect with your family and friends...you never know when they might be gone.

I miss you sis.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Full Moon Run #98

Just finished running the 98th full moon run. Participants were 1 Moon Master, 7 bats, and 12 deer. Only two moon runs left until retirement: May 19 at 8:30pm and June 18 at 9pm. The deer and bats will be joined by fireflies in June. Runners are welcome too.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Glucosamine & Microlactin

Got knee problems? What ultra runner doesn't? I'm not a doctor, but I can suggest that you try glucosamine and/or microlactin. I've used both for a couple years now and think they've improved my joint lubrication and reduced my knee pain. I've tried MSM and chondroitin too, but I don't think they are as effective. Try all four and see which works for you. They all need some time to get into your system and start working--give them 2-4 weeks before deciding on their usefulness. I've bought most of my vitamins and supplements (including all those listed above) from Swanson Vitamins (NFI). To be safe, consult your doctor for advice on how these supplements might work into your training. I'm sure you've gotten good guidance in the past from your primary care physician about running ultra marathons.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Next Race = Gnaw Bone 50K

I'm recovered from the 100 miler last weekend (sort of), and now motivated to do my next race which is on May 10...the Gnaw Bone 50K. I've heard it referred to as the mini-Barkley. Yeah, right. It does intentionally go off trail, through briars, and up & down hills, but it ain't no Barkley! I can handle almost anything for just 31 miles. Barkley is 100 TOUGH miles on unmarked, unsupported terrain. Most people don't finish one 20-mile loop at Barkley. I hope to finish the whole Gnaw Bone 50K. Even if the difficulty is exaggerated, they do have a cool shirt. That's got to be worth something. And if you also do the Dance With Dirt race in September, they give you a cool "I've Been Boned & Burned" vest. Next year (2009) they are adding two more races to the series and you can try for the "Bloodied, Boned, Bruised, and Burned" vest and belt buckle that will (from their web site) "make all other runners scared shitless when in your presence!" Damn, I need to do that too.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Illinois Trail Ultra Grand Slam Update

I have compiled the most recent IL Trail Ultra Grand Slam (iTUGS) results. They include Clinton Lake and McNaughton Park. If runners DNF'd at McNaughton, but still finished at least 50 miles, they are NOT included in the Slam. Sorry, you need to finish the race you signed up for--but early starters do count and are lumped in to the regular race standings in terms of placing. I have added the actual finish times and placing (within M/F category) and an OVERALL POINTS column that is simply the "points/placing" sum for the races so far (lower is better). If you think there is an error, let me know. Remember that the placing is within your event and against those in your gender. You can access the latest Grand Slam results at my Google Docs spreadsheet link:

2008 IL Trail Ultra Grand Slam Results

Sheet 1 has everyone that started (green marks those still going)
Sheet 2 has only those still in it (sorted by best standing)
Sheet 3 has only those still in it (sorted by gender & standing)

We now have only 24 people in contention to finish the full Grand Slam! I may continue to adjust the formatting of the Google Doc (shading, colors, etc) to make the results easier to interpret. The current overall Slam leaders are:

-Matt Condron (5 placing points)
-Ellen Erhardt (3 placing points)

Final two races are Rock Cut Hobo 50K (Sept 21) and Farmdale 33 Miler (Oct 18). Registration for Farmdale is open, but Hobo is not available yet. Good luck to all the runners still in the Grand Slam. If you are out of the Slam, you should still do these last races...they are fun events.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

McNaughton Park 2009!

Well, I did it again. I signed up for McNaughton Park 100 miler in 2009. Registration opened up too quickly and I was still on a high from finishing this year. I was the first person to get into the 100 miler. I may not finish quickly, but I can register with the best of them! Register before the end of April, and Andy has deep discounts for all three events (50/100/150 miles). And don't forget the Illinois Trail Ultra Grand Slam for 2008 (or 2009). You need to finish all four events in the same calendar year to be a Slammer. I'll update those stats for 2008 soon.

Monday, April 14, 2008

McNaughton Park 2008


I could subtitle this post many ways..."Monkey is Finally Off My Back"..."Fourth Time is a Charm"..."The Three Day Stage Race"..."Ramblings of a Winner"..."40-40-20"...or most simply, "I Finished." By the way, that's me in the photo--runner #580. The timing chip kind of looks like a prison work-release bracelet. Anyway, I started at Noon on Friday and finished at 12:26pm on Sunday. Total race time was 48:26. Wow, that is slow! At the finish line, I traded my timing chip for the coveted 100 Mile finisher belt buckle (photo at end of this posting). This was my fourth attempt at the 100 miles at McNaughton Park--the first three ended with DNFs.

DAY 1...Friday I ran an easy 40 miles and called it a day a little after 10pm. The weather sucked---high winds and rain on/off all day. The trail was muddy, but not too bad. I felt good. I planned on doing only 30 miles on Friday, but these 40 miles came easy. The whole day was actually fun. No pressure. No worries. I socialized with other runners and aid station folks. Heck, I even lounged at Heaven's Gate (photo at left). Brian and his buffalo crew did a fantastic job all three days at Heaven's Gate. Best aid station at ANY RACE in the country! When the 4th loop was done, I ate and went to my tent to sleep (you don't sleep much at the start/finish area--lots of commotion, people, announcements, etc). It was nice getting off my feet for 7.5 hours. I heard the 6am start of the 50/100 milers, but stayed in my sleeping bag for another 30 minutes. When I came out it was drizzling. I had some coffee, three snack cakes, a fruit smoothie, and headed down the trail for day two.

DAY 2...Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Well, my pain started at mile 41. I knew Friday was too easy...something had to challenge me. When I headed down the first hill from the start into the big open field my left knee was hurting. The loop around the field was a circuit of pain. I could only manage an odd walk/skip that kept the knee from taking too much weight. At the totem pole aid station (around mile 2.6) I took 2 Advil. The slippery mud and cold stream crossings were killing me (at least the second creek had a fantastic bridge--photo at left). When I got to Heaven's Gate aid station (mile 5.9) things were feeling a little better. I managed to get back to the start and grabbed an Aleve. Within an hour, I was feeling better and starting to do a regular run/walk routine. I took a couple extra strength Tylenol on the next loop and the pain started to really subside. Day two was a lesson in pain management. I would have dropped at 50 miles if it weren't for drugs and the knowledge that I had another whole day to finish up. The course got progressively worse with the extra 150 or so runners on the course chewing up the trail. The rain came and went all day. We even got a little sleet and snow! But less wind than Friday. I finished another 40 miles around 7:30pm. Adam was at the finish line (he had just finished his first 50 miler) and he handed me a beer. Why not? I ate a soy burger, drank a beer and headed back to my tent for some sleep. I only had 20 miles left for Sunday.

DAY 3...It's nice to wake up and know you have 9 hours to "run" 20 miles and finish a 100 mile race. Andy is very generous with his cut-offs. The 100 milers can start with the 150 milers (like I did) and have the full 52 hours to finish. I got out of my tent around 6am, and headed for the fire pit to warm up. Grabbed a pancake and coffee too. I had a chocolate milk & Advil back in my tent and then headed down that darn hill for my 9th loop. For this loop I wanted to see what a full fast walking loop would take...I finished in about 3:10. Not a bad 10 mile walk after already having done 80 miles. I only had one loop to go! My knee was hurting a bit, so I took another Advil. I wanted to finish strong...I planned on running my 10th and final loop as my fastest of them all. I took off down the first hill and into the big field feeling OK. I had my iPod, stomach full of food, and only 10 miles to go. The trail was actually in better shape this last loop than it had been since Friday. Less runners and the continual wind seemed to dry up some of the mud. There was still tons o' mud, but it was thicker and tackier than before. You could actually get a bit of traction on it. When I arrived at Totem Pole, now with 92.6 miles under my belt, I thanked Rich and his crew and headed back down the trail. I pushed hard on all the flat sections and power walked the hills. Made it to Heaven's Gate around 11:30am (now mile 96.9) and requested a soy burger for my return (I love that 1-mile roller coaster loop that brings you back to Heaven's Gate). The buffalo were cheering me on and I ran that loop fast--upon returning to the aid station I saw Gregg and yelled out "Is that all you got MPT!" There would be no dying on this course this year. I grabbed my soy burger, thanked all the volunteers, chatted about 5K PRs, and sprinted back to the trail--only 3.1 miles to go. I intended to run that whole section back to the finish, but it's not easy eating a burger and running...especially when you have already done 97 miles. I held up pretty well, but it wasn't my intended sprint to the finish. Finally I reached the last left turn into the open field and the finish line was in sight. I pushed hard up that slight incline as Andy the RD called out my name and said all sorts of weird stuff about me..."Chris is director of Clinton Lake ultra (true)...Chairman of the Illinois Grand Slam (half true)...President of Second Wind Running Club (not true)...Mayor of Pekin (not true)...and now a finisher of McNaughton Park 100 Miler (true!)." Thanks Andy. Hey, I still had 3.5 hours to spare. Maybe I'll try the 150 miler next year...not.

Stage Race...I intentionally wanted to turn this into a 3-day stage race. That strategy worked for me. It made the event fun for the full 48 hours. I could have cut back on my sleep time and run a faster 100 miles, but I don't think I could have finished if I started at 6am on Saturday morning. Maybe with 3-4 hours less sleep each night I could have still finished (around 40-42 hours?). With better course conditions and less sleep...maybe under 38 hours? I could try only one night sleep next year...then I could finish in under 36 hours! Hmmm...

Food...Andy makes sure the runners have lots of food. A little short on the vegetarian side, but I brought my own soy burgers and veggie ramen for them to cook. I had a cooler stuffed with fruit/yogurt smoothies, chocolate milk, cheese sticks, iced tea, and soda. The Heaven's Gate group did a nice job of keeping me stocked with veggie options...hot mashed potatoes, soy burgers, homemade cookies, hot chocolate...it's nice having friends on the course.

Water & Mud...the course started out slightly muddy, but eventually became a nasty mess. On Saturday, the new cohort of runners (from the 50 & 100 miler race) really tore the course up. And the continual rain didn't make things better. Improvements from last year were the added bridges/boardwalks (and logs) on the low area between miles 1-2. It was possible to keep your feet dry through this whole section. Last year I'd change socks and shoes at the start and they would be muddy and wet after a little more than a mile. Very depressing. This time I could go to the last creek crossing (photo at left, almost to mile 9) with semi-dry feet (muddy, but fairly dry). It sucks having wet feet for 100 miles. With the downed tree I used to cross the first creek (didn't discover this trick until loop 6), I could keep my feet pretty dry. The mud oozed through my shoes and socks, but it wasn't the deep sogginess you get from wading across swamps and streams.

Sleep...I got two nights of "sleep." It's not really sleep when you have music, people, and announcements going on 24 hours/day at the starting line. Still, it was a welcome relief from the trail. I huddled in my sleeping bag (with extra fleece liner) inside my tent and listened to the rain and sleet patter off my rain fly. I felt bad for those people on the trail late at night. The time off my feet certainly lifted my spirits and helped heal some of my aches and pains.

Research Study...Jim from Monmouth University conducted a research study with the ultra runners. It was fun filling out a pre and post survey and then being interviewed at the finish. Felt like I was giving back to "the sport." I hope he gets some good psycho-social data and continues his research in this area. I'd love to see more data (not just physiological) on ultrarunning and its affect on runners.

Random products to thank:
Hydropel (no blisters even with water/mud all over the course)
Tylenol, Aleve, and Advil (got rid of the knee pain)
Boca Burgers (soy protein kept me going for over 2 days)
SportShield (better than Body Glide)

My split times & medal:

TOTAL = 48:26:05.81 29:04/M 100.000
Lap 1 2:13:34.27 13:21/M 10.000
Lap 2 2:29:55.30 15:00/M 20.000
Lap 3 2:24:44.46 14:28/M 30.000
Lap 4 3:06:14.29 18:37/M 40.000
Lap 5 12:04:04.89 72:24/M 50.000
Lap 6 3:03:41.06 18:22/M 60.000
Lap 7 2:57:07.99 17:43/M 70.000
L
ap 8 3:06:49.77 18:41/M 80.000
Lap 9 14:25:33.63 86:33/M 90.000
Lap 10 2:34:20.15 15:26/M 100.000


Can you tell when I slept?
What do you get for running 100 miles on a tough, muddy trail?
Here's the reward. Life is good!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Off to McNaughton Park

I'm heading out to Pekin and McNaughton Park tomorrow morning (Friday for the early start). I plan on starting at Noon with the 150 mile runners so I can take it easy and essentially turn it into a three-day stage race (Fri-Sat-Sun). The weather looks terrible...windy, rainy, and cold. The nights are going to be below freezing! Hopefully my next blog entry (Sunday or Monday) will be about my finish. Good luck to all the participants...50, 100, and 150 mile racers. Looks like there will be a lot of us:

150 milers = 53
100 milers = 60
50 milers = 107

This is one BIG race. Best of luck to Andy the RD--I hope everything goes smoothly for him and his volunteers. I hope that anyone still in the running for the IL Trail Ultra Grand Slam finishes McNaughton. I'll update the Slam list a couple days after the race so people can see who's left.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Gnaw Bone 50K

I always feel a little disappointed after a 100 miler. In the recent past, that's been because I've DNF'd at McNaughton Park! Even with a finish, I often get that sense of...now what? So what better way to avoid that feeling then to sign up for another good challenge? I just signed up for the Dances With Dirt Gnaw Bone 50K on May 10. The sister race is in September in Hell, MI. This one is in Gnaw Bone, IN. If you complete both in the same year you get a special "I've Been Boned and Burned" running vest. That was good enough for me!

Here's a video from the 2007 Gnaw Bone race:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ee16a48awhA

I suppose the 7-Day Buffalo Trace Trail Race should have been enough motivation (more about the 7-day race later). But that's not until June. I can't go a full month without a race. That would be crazy.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Brian's Clinton Race Report

For those that like to read race reports, Brian has one of the better ones I've seen on the recent Clinton Lake ultra race. He mixes pictures with text and even throws in a short video and GPS tracking maps. Check his report out (the rest of his blog is interesting too). If other people have race reports, let me know and I'll try to link them here. Feel free to send your report into UltraRunning magazine too. They already have my results, but would welcome stories too. I'll send them a race photo as well.

Other race reports:
Dennis (Run Bubba Run)
Pam (Kickstand Pam)
Ed (On the Trails with Ed)

Monday, April 7, 2008

Trail Gaiters

I ran the Allerton Park "Schroth trail" today with a few buffalo. Two 6-mile loops on pretty tame trails. I saw that Shea had on some trail gaiters and I thought "why the heck wear gaiters on this easy trail?" Next loop I was hopping around when a piece of gravel got into my shoe! Shea was onto something. I have a pair of Dirty Girl gaiters from about 4 years ago (got them after the Kettle Morraine 100K where you do get some pine needles, dirt, and rocks in your shoes). Worn them exactly once...for a practice run at Lake of the Woods trails. I think I'll wear them at McNaughton Park for a couple loops and see if I like them.

Good luck to Shea in his first 100 mile attempt. At least you won't have rocks in your shoes.

PS: A Clinton Lake runner left a pair of gaiters and a shoe bag near the finish line. I have both...and may use them at McNaughton this weekend. Let me know if you want them back. I'll bring a pair of pants and shirt that was left at Clinton too. Update: Ellen, our female champion, has claimed the gaiters and shoe bag--I'll bring them to the McNaughton race.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

"Ramblings of a Loser"

This is what I posted to our local "buffalo list" the day after McNaughton Park 100 almost two years ago (my 2nd DNF at the 100 there)...I DNF'd again last year too. This race has my number! I have a new strategy this year...and I will finish.

"Ramblings of a Loser" (April 17, 2006)

Hey Buffs,

I'm a loser. I DNF'd at McNaughton Park Trail (MPT) again at 75 miles. Yes, all the running magazines say "You're a winner by just having the courage to stand at the starting line." Fucking liars! I stood at that line, ran/walked 75 miles, and dropped out...that doesn't make me a winner. Tracy Thomas is a winner (shattered the course record!) and all the folks that sucked it up and got across that finish line AFTER 100 miles (or is it more like 104 miles?)...they are winners. I'm a loser. That's OK, it's good to be a loser every once in while.

Who else is a winner? All those aid station volunteers. Especially at Heaven's Gate. It was a pleasure passing that aid station twice per loop. All the buffs were supportive and on top of the runner's needs. Brian kept scrambling for more ice and supplies on a brutally hot day. Jay P (the new "fat kid") rocked as a volunteer, but needs to run more and hang out less on the couch! Tony & Danielle ran 30 miles then volunteered all night and part of the next day. I think Don ran a fast 30 and helped for a while too. Marla ran "more than 30 miles," looked great at the finish, and then made some killer PB&J as a volunteer. Jeff & Jim camped Friday night, worked all day, then paced me part of the day/night. Tom volunteered day & night plus paced me for my "last loop" (65-75 miles)--and kept my spirits up--as best as anyone could. "John & Son" volunteered and "pseudo-paced" me for one loop. Gregg ran with me for the first 45 miles (and finished 50 miles looking strong). Good people. Hell, Spencer even called at night to say "take a nap...keep going!" Yeah, right. I appreciated the support and kind words. You all are winners in my book.

And Andy's a winner. What a great race. Well organized. Great fleece jacket. Nice hat. Awesome volunteers and aid station food. Did I say "great course?" I'm not sure about that! After 40 miles I was saying "Is that all you got MPT!" Unfortunately, MPT still had a few tricks. 86 degrees and hot sun were just the beginning. MPT delivered some nice rain, lightning, and wind at night. And then the slick mud. Hills were almost impossible to climb. I was dehydrated, hungry, tired, achy, and dizzy...and that was after 70 miles. I don't know how Tom & I made it back to Heaven's Gate at 75 miles. MPT whooped my ass! Put a fork in me...I was done. (I swear there was a BIG fork at that aid station). No one's fault but mine. I can't blame anyone but myself.

Everyone tried their best to keep me going. I can still remember Tony & John yelling at me to keep going as I sat comatose in a chair. I vaguely recall Danielle singing and saying "Finish it for Hammy!" Someone kept kicking me...can't remember who...probably Tony and/or John. Tom & Brian were sleeping by then and Danielle is too nice to kick someone when they're down. Good try, but I wasn't budging.

No regrets. Sometimes you just gotta try things that seem impossible. If it wasn't so hot and sunny...if I drank more and ate more...if I trained more...if the streams weren't so high...if it didn't rain...maybe I would have finished. That's a lot of "ifs." Plain and simple...I DNF'd. As I write this Monday morning, I'm still happy with my decision. Who the hell runs 100 miles anyway? As the saying goes..any idiot can run a marathon...it takes a special kind of idiot to run 100 miles! Tracy isn't an idiot, but she is special. Good job woman!

A big "thanks" to everyone. You all are fantastic. Not sure if I'll ever try a 100 miler again, but if I do, I hope there will be "buffalo-like people" at that race. Oh, and next year...try some reverse psychology...tell me to quit. Tell me I look terrible. Tell me it'll feel nice to stop. Tell me there's no shame in quitting. Tell me "75 miles ain't bad." Tell me I'm a winner to have just started. Tell me there will be dancing girls after I DNF, shower, and change clothes. Please people, help me DNF! It's a tradition now.

NOTE: The 2008 race will be my 4th attempt at the 100 miler at McNaughton Park. This is the only race I've ever DNF'd. Let's hope that on April 14, 2008 I am posting "Ramblings of a Winner" rather than "The DNF Tradition Continues."

Saturday, April 5, 2008

McNaughton Park 50/100/150 Run

Good luck to all those registered for the McNaughton Park races (including me!). The race is next weekend (April 11-13). Andy is a great race director and he puts on three wonderful events. Everyone should enjoy the trail and all the dedicated volunteers (especially the buffalo at Heaven's Gate). This is race #2 in the Illinois Trail Ultra Grand Slam. Finish this one and you'll be 50% of the way to the Slam. I'll be interested in how Clinton Lake runners compare McNaughton to Clinton. I find them very similar in overall difficulty (Clinton has MORE small hills, McNaughton a few BIG and STEEP hills). McNaughton also has 2 stream crossings and a few spots that are often muddy. Bring shoes that drain well...and a change of socks wouldn't hurt either.

I hope to see a few red Clinton Lake race shirts at McNaughton Park. If you have last year's white race shirt...that'll do too!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Thank you!

It's been almost a week since the race concluded and I'm almost recovered. Just wanted to say:

THANK YOU to Second Wind Running Club and Illinois DNR!
THANK YOU to all the race volunteers!
THANK YOU to all the race sponsors!
and THANK YOU to all the racers!

Second Wind is a small, non-profit, running club in central Illinois trying to promote running and walking in the area. They've done a nice job supporting races of all distances in the community...including this ultramarathon. The club is very involved with the new Illinois Marathon (April 25, 2009). If you live in the area, consider joining the club. Think about running the new marathon too--registration opens on June 1.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Subscribing to This Blog (or another)

It's quite easy to subscribe to various blogs that you read regularly. Almost all of them have a subscription button that allows an RRS feed to automatically send the recent posting to your personal iGoogle, My Yahoo, or other "mash-up" site or page reader. Most RRS readers allow you to simply cut and paste the site URL into your reader. That should work for this blog too. There is also a subscription button at the VERY BOTTOM of the page ("Subscribe to: Posts Atom"). Click it and you get the syndication feed of your choice (Google, Yahoo, Live Bookmarks, Bloglines, etc).

Warning: Subscribing to and reading blogs can be addictive! I now have several pages that are simply mash-ups of various running, soccer, science, investing, and world news blogs. If you haven't noticed, there's a blog for just about everything...including a small trail ultra race in central Illinois.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Don't Forget the Grand Slam

All finishers of the Clinton Lake 30-Mile Trail Run are eligible for the Illinois Trail Ultra Grand Slam. You just need to complete the other 3 races:

-McNaughton Park 50/100/150
-Rock Cut Hobo 50K
-Farmdale 33 Miler

What are you waiting for? Sign up for these other fine races now! The original 128 "entrants" of the Grand Slam (those registered for Clinton Lake) have now been culled to 95 possible Slammers (finishers of Clinton Lake). If you are still in the running, pat yourself on the back, and do the other 3 races.